Canterbury Big Year

General birdwatching discussion, help with bird identification, and all other things relating to wild birds and birding in NZ that don't fit in one of the other forums.
Davidthomas
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby Davidthomas » Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:50 pm

Yeah it’s definitely not driveable past the road end unless you’ve got a 4wd or something with decent clearance. The water levels pretty high still and the 4wders have really rutted that first 10-15 metres.
andrewcrossland
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby andrewcrossland » Wed Sep 18, 2019 8:09 pm

Niall Mugan reported the Marsh Sandpiper still out on the Lake edge at Embankment Road yesterday morning but it was missing when others went looking for it yesterday afternoon.
Today, this arvo, no less than 5 birders were out looking. Finally it was found by Kenny Rose just on dusk, out from Jarvis Road. It was about 300m toward Greenpark Huts - at the head of the ever-changing "Greenpark Lagoon". Kenny told others of its presence and some of us made a race against dark to see it. I finally got there just as the light was about to be lost and the lads had the scopes on it, waiting! Good job Kenny and Phil!!

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And - for anyone who wants to see Barbary Dove - I saw 2 flying across Marshlands Rd about 200m south of the BP service station yesterday morning, heading west to east.
andrewcrossland
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby andrewcrossland » Sun Sep 22, 2019 5:19 pm

Hi folks, a number of BIG YEARERS have been doing pelagics at Kaikoura over the last few days. Species have varied on each trip, but the list seen includes:

Southern Royal Albatross
Northern Royal Albatross
Wandering Albatross
Salvins Mollymawk
White-capped Mollymawk
Black-browed Mollymawk
Northern Giant Petrel
Grey-faced Petrel
Westland Petrel
Grey Petrel
Antarctic Fulmar
Fairy Prion
Buller's Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Huttons Shearwater
Fluttering Shearwater
Common Diving Petrel
Cape Petrel
Grey-backed Storm Petrel
Gannet

If others do pelagics during the remaining months of the big year please post lists shortly afterwards so other Canterbury birders can have a chance to go see some of the birds they're keen to catch up with. cheers
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Adam C
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby Adam C » Sun Sep 22, 2019 6:53 pm

Stunning weekend up the Hawdon Valley with Jack my 13 year old. No luck on Kaka and out of 30+ parakeets we were able to observe closely only 1 Orange Fronted but good to finally get! Really high numbers of Yellow Fronted in the valley at the moment unless Im picking them wrong but all had strong red-orange above the bill. The 1 orange-fronted stood out when finally found so observe carefully if chasing them as the ratio we got was 30-1 yellow verses orange!. Also bush bashed a bit and had 2 mohua skipping around us for over 20 minutes which was a first for Jack and its been over 10 years since I've seen them so very cool!
Also the 2 grey duck that I think Andrew found last autumn were present in the side stream and did look really solid as a species count so Im going to finally add them to the year list. Highlight was kiwi calling behind the hut at night! Dont think I'll ad it to my year list as I need a visual! But good to know they're there! didn't have time to get up after the blue duck but next trip we'll add an extra day and go whio hunting. Great to see the work DOC is putting in up there is paying off especially with parakeet numbers.
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”

Samuel Ullman
rowey
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby rowey » Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:03 pm

Wow Andrew, 6 species on that list that I am missing from my list for this year. In fact there are 15 species from the Albatross Encounter pelagics this year that I have missed. Just goes to show how much luck you need on those trips. You never know what is going to swing by.
andrewcrossland
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby andrewcrossland » Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:33 pm

Yeah, I know what you mean! From 11 potential ticks I only managed a meagre 3 on Saturday morning's pelagic and some key species (Grey Petrel, Antarctic Fulmar, Common Diving Petrel, Buller's Albatross have now passed me by - bugger!

Niall Mugan (the instigator of the Canterbury BiG YEAR as folks will recall) had an absolute screamer though - he made 3 pelagics and came away with a couple of shopping bags full of BIG YEAR ticks - including some Feral Turkeys on a random hill side somewhere on the Hunderlees. Legend!!

Things are starting to really buzz
Jan
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby Jan » Thu Sep 26, 2019 7:42 pm

Hi andrew, please can you get round to saying if you can be part of the event I have been asking you about for a few months now?? It would be really great if you could do it, honestly.
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Adam C
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby Adam C » Fri Oct 04, 2019 7:06 pm

Some VERY fresh arrivals at the Ashley River mouth today...
Long Trip.jpg
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“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”

Samuel Ullman
andrewcrossland
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby andrewcrossland » Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:01 pm

A bit of an update on the Canterbury BIG YEAR as we enter the last 3 months of the year. More species continue to be added to the 2019 Canterbury regional list through everyone's collective efforts and its reached 154 species now.

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No BIG YEARERS are anywhere near to that 154 total yet, but several have seen 100 species so far which is pretty good going......


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andrewcrossland
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Re: Canterbury Big Year

Postby andrewcrossland » Mon Oct 14, 2019 9:04 pm

Hi folks, so for those who haven't seen the other post, Niall Mugan found a probable Little Stint at Kaitorete Spit tip yesterday and let some local birders know although he only posted the sighting today once he was fairly sure he was 90% happy with the initial ID. I managed to have a look at it to day while a few others are heading out tomorrow. Also present are 30 RN Stint (inckuding a yellow flagged or banded one - but better views are needed, so please keep a sharp look out), 5 Turnstones, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 1 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a small group of Wrybills.
The habitat has many shallow pools and the small wader flock moves about when disturbed by passing Harriers, etc, so anyone looking for the Little Tern will need to have a scan and walk out to any small waders seen. Please be aware that a small Caspian Tern colony is establishing and give them a wide berth as they're laying and will readily desert.

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